Blue Jays 'optimistic' Ryu Hyun-jin will make next start after negative X-rays on knee

The Toronto Blue Jays are "optimistic" that their South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin will be able to pitch on the weekend after the X-rays on his right knee, bruised after taking a comebacker, returned negative. "With the way he's feeling today, we're pretty optimistic he's going to be good," Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters in Cleveland on Tuesday. Ryu suffered a right knee contusion after a comebacker by Oscar Gonzalez of the Cleveland Guardians

Aug. 9, 2023

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin suffers right knee contusion after taking comebacker

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin has been forced to leave his start early with a right knee contusion after taking a line drive off his leg. Ryu was struck by a comebacker off the bat of Oscar Gonzalez of the Cleveland Guardians in the bottom of the fourth inning at Progressive Field in Cleveland on Monday. The batted ball, with an exit velocity of 97.7 miles per hour, went off Ryu's leg and dropped near the mound. Ryu immediately began limping in pain but had the presence of mind to

Aug. 8, 2023

Kim Ha-seong's hitting streak reaches 13 games

Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres is as hot as the California sun. The leadoff hitter for the Padres has now hit safely in 13 straight games and reached base multiple times in 15 straight games. The South Korean infielder batted 2-for-5 in a 13-7 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park in San Diego on Monday. During his current hitting streak, which began on July 24, Kim has raised his batting average from .270 to .288, with seven multihit games thrown in. In August, Kim is batting .421

Aug. 8, 2023

Padres' Kim Ha-seong nominated for Heart & Hustle Award in MLB

The San Diego Padres' South Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong has been nominated for a major league award recognizing passion for the game of baseball and work ethic. The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association announced 30 nominees, one from each team, for its annual Heart & Hustle Award on Thursday. Kim was chosen as the Padres' nominee by 30 MLBPAA committees made up of alumni players. Created by the MLBPAA in 2005, the award is given each year to "an active player who

Aug. 4, 2023

Padres' Kim Ha-seong hits 4th leadoff homer of season

Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres has gone deep for the first time in eight games as he inches closer to a milestone. Kim hit a leadoff homer as part of his 2-for-3 day at the plate against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver on Wednesday. Kim also drew two walks from the top of the lineup, helping the Padres to an 11-1 rout. After seven highly productive offensive seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization, Kim is finally showing off his hitting prowess in his third major league se

Aug. 3, 2023

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin charged with loss in return from injury

Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays struggled in his first major league start in 14 months, constantly pitching with traffic on the bases against a division rival. Ryu took the loss in the Orioles' 13-3 rout of the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Tuesday (local time), after giving up four runs on nine hits in five innings. Ryu left the game with the Orioles leading 4-3 following Gunnar Henderson's solo shot to begin the top of the sixth. The bullpen coughed up nine runs over

Aug. 2, 2023

Choi Ji-man joins countryman Kim Ha-seong in San Diego following trade

South Korean infielder Choi Ji-man will join countryman Kim Ha-seong on the San Diego Padres. The Pittsburgh Pirates traded Choi, along with pitcher Rich Hill, to the Padres on Tuesday, in exchange for three prospects: pitcher Jackson Wolf, outfielder Estuar Suero and first baseman Alfonso Rivas. The deal was made prior to the annual trade deadline of 6 p.m. Tuesday. Choi had been teammates with South Korean infielder Bae Ji-hwan in Pittsburgh and will now join another Korean infielder in Kim. C

Aug. 2, 2023

Once in last place, KT Wiz claw back into KBO postseason contention

On May 18, the KT Wiz was in last place in South Korean baseball, with a record of 10-24-2 (wins-losses-ties). They were stuck at a season-worst 14-games under .500 with little hope for a quick bounceback as injuries were piling up. Since May 19, however, the Wiz have reeled off the best record in the Korea Baseball Organization at 34-19. They tied for the league lead with 15 wins in June and led everyone with 13 wins in July. A nine-game losing streak from the end of April is now a distant memo

July 31, 2023

Padres' Kim Ha-seong leaves game with shoulder injury

Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres has suffered an apparent shoulder injury on a slide at home plate. Kim exited the Padres' home game against the Texas Rangers at Petco Park in San Diego on Sunday after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Xander Bogaerts in the bottom of the third inning. As Kim slid home headfirst, his right hand got jammed underneath the left knee of catcher Sam Huff. The ball bounced past Huff and toward the backstop, and Kim immediately grabbed his right shoulder after sli

July 31, 2023

[Graphic News] MLB to hold 2024 season opener in Seoul

Major League Baseball will open its 2024 season in South Korea with two games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. MLB and the MLB Players Association announced their plans for four international series outside the United States and Canada in 2024, with regular season stops in Mexico City and London, as well as spring training action in the Dominican Republic. Dubbed the “Seoul Series” as part of the MLB World Tour, the games in South Korea between the two Nation

July 28, 2023

KBO suspends 3 minor leaguers for physical abuse of teammates

The South Korean baseball league on Wednesday imposed lengthy bans on three minor league players for the physical abuse of their teammates. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) handed down a 72-game ban on SSG Landers minor league pitcher Lee Won-joon, while banning their minor league infielder Lee Geo-yeon and outfielder Choi Sang-min for 30 games each. The KBO had been investigating the abuse cases since last week. According to the KBO, the incident took place in the Landers' minor lea

July 19, 2023

Ulsan midfielder Qazaishvili named K League's top player for June

Valeri Qazaishvili, Georgian midfielder for first-place Ulsan Hyundai FC, was named the top player in South Korean football for June. The Korea Professional Football League announced Qazaishvili, known as Vako here, as the winner of the Player of the Month award for June in the top-flight K League 1. It is his first career monthly award. In four matches last month, Vako scored five goals and recorded an assist as well. The winner was chosen based on votes by the K League's technical study

July 17, 2023

Padres' Kim Ha-seong hits 2nd career leadoff home run

For the second time in his major league career, Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres has hit a leadoff home run. Kim greeted Philadelphia Phillies starter Zack Wheeler with a home run in the top of the first inning at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Sunday, staking his visiting team to a 1-0 lead. Wheeler threw Kim a 2-2 sweeper below the zone, and Kim went down and got all of the pitch. Kim's homer traveled 352 feet over the left field fence at a launch angle of 32 degrees. It was Ki

July 17, 2023

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin pitches 5 solid innings in minor league rehab start

Working his way back from elbow surgery, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin now has a solid Triple-A start under his belt. Pitching for the Buffalo Bisons, the South Korean left-hander gave up a run on three hits in five innings against the Toledo Mud Hens, the Detroit Tigers affiliate, at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, on Saturday. It was Ryu's third minor league outing since undergoing Tommy John surgery to repair ligament damage in his left elbow in June 2022. He has been gradual

July 16, 2023

Sluggers old and young battle for home run crown; American starter leads ERA race in KBO

As the first half of the season drew to a conclusion in South Korean baseball this week, a familiar name sat atop the home run leaderboard. Choi Jeong of the SSG Landers is tied for the home run lead in the Korea Baseball Organization with 19 after 73 games. He is chasing his fourth home run crown, which would make him the oldest player to lead the KBO in that category at 36 years and eight months old. The player on level with Choi is at the other end of the age spectrum. Roh Si-hwan of the Hanw

July 14, 2023

Son of ex-KBO slugger drafted by Diamondbacks

Kevin Sim, son of a former star slugger in the top South Korean baseball league, has been drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in Major League Baseball. The Diamondbacks selected Sim, third baseman for the University of San Diego, with their 148th overall pick in the fifth round of the annual draft. Sim, 21, is son of Shim Chong-soo, who smacked 328 home runs in his 15-year career in the Korea Baseball Organization to rank 10th on the all-time list. In 2003, Shim, then playing for the Hyundai Uni

July 11, 2023

Pirates' Choi Ji-man hits 1st homer since return from injury

Choi Ji-man of the Pittsburgh Pirates has gone deep for the first time since his return from a long injury layoff. Choi belted a two-run homer against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the Pirates' 4-2 victory at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sunday. It was Choi's third home run of the season, and his first since ending a three-month absence Friday. Batting fifth as designated hitter, Choi homered off Zach Davies in the second inning and hit a double in the ninth inning, before being lifted for

July 10, 2023

Padres' Kim Ha-seong injures toe after kicking water cooler in frustration

After getting thrown out at third base in a key moment of an eventual loss, San Diego Padres infielder Kim Ha-seong took out his frustration on a water cooler. The action may end up costing Kim time on the field. The Padres said Saturday that Kim is listed as day to day after jamming his right big toe on the cooler during a 7-5 loss to the New York Mets the previous day. Kim made a baserunning gaffe with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning at Petco Park in San Diego, with the game tied a

July 9, 2023

Kia Tigers sign new pitcher Mario Sanchez

The S. Korean baseball club Kia Tigers announced Thursday they have signed new pitcher Mario Sanchez. The Korea Baseball Organization club acquired the Venezuelan right-hander for $280,000 for the rest of the season, and the move comes two days after releasing slumping starter, Adonis Medina. Sanchez, 28, comes over from Taiwan, where he'd been pitching for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He was leading the CPBL with a 1.44 ERA and was tied for

July 6, 2023

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin gives up 1 run in 3 innings in minor league rehab game

Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays has taken an important step in his recovery from last year's elbow operation, giving up one run in three innings in a minor league rehab appearance. Ryu pitched for the Blue Jays' Rookie ball affiliate in the Florida Complex League in Dunedin, Florida, on Tuesday, and struck out five batters and allowed four hits against an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. The South Korean left-hander did not walk a batter. This was Ryu's first game action sin

July 5, 2023